Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Some of you may read this and reject the most recent game's placement at the top as a clear case of recency bias. That is certainly something that game writers must keep in mind when they are in the throes of passion with a fresh-off-the-press entry in a beloved series, but it is also true that video games, perhaps more than any other medium, tend to get better and better, with each iteration refining and building on the foundation of what came before. The Switch entries of several Nintendo franchises may justifiably be labeled the pinnacles of their respective series.

With a game as intimate as Animal Crossing, there will never be another like it, and Team NL holds a torch to numerous entrants on that premise. However, Animal Crossing: New Horizons provides such a bounty of goodness, such a wealth of nostalgia, refinement, and subtle advancement - and comes at a time when many people around the world desperately need a little good cheer and comfort - that it's quite easy to place it at the top of this list.

Series: Animal Crossing
Genre: Social simulation game

Link: amazon.com/dp/B07SL6ZXBL